WEYMOUTH – Parents and a teachers union official on Monday night called on town councilors to press Mayor Susan Kay to increase school spending for next year, saying her budget proposal again shortchanges students.

As soon as Kay finished presenting her $143.7 million budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 at the annual town budget hearing – called the annual town meeting although no voting takes place – parents lined up to slam it.

“Once again we are threatened by an inadequate budget submitted by the mayor,” said Ringe Street resident Christopher Primiano, who ran unsuccessfully for the town council last year. “We are putting our children’s future in jeopardy.”

Kay’s proposed budget includes $60.1 million for the schools, plus another $900,000 in reserve money. That’s about $497,000 less than school officials say they would need to provide all of the services being provided now.

The budget proposal also comes up short of what the police, fire and public works departments said they would need to provide the same level of services next year.

Maggie Murphy, the incoming vice president of the Weymouth Educators Association, said she and her husband are looking to move, but Weymouth isn’t on their list of potential towns because of the level of school funding.

“My family is the face of what Weymouth is missing out on,” said Murphy, a mother of three and a teacher at the Johnson Early Childhood Center. “Underfunding a level-service budget is unacceptable.”

The $60.1 million Kay has proposed to spend on schools is about $1.8 million more than what the council approved a year ago. But critics were quick to point out that over the course of this year, the council approved four measures totaling about $1.8 million in additional school spending, making the mayor’s proposal essentially equal to the current spending level.

Kay said she’s not happy with the budget either, but that it was the best she could do with the available revenue and represented “almost level service” while avoiding severe cuts.

“It’s very depressing that we’re not able to meet what they feel they need,” she said. “If we can free up additional money, we will put it toward the schools and those other departments.”

The council can approve, reject or decrease the mayor’s budget, but cannot add to it. During a contentious budget season last year, the council successfully lobbied the mayor to boost school spending.